Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1887-09-25
VICKSBURG CAPTURED
WAR EXPERIENCES OF an OLD ARMY
TRLRGRAPHRR
Quick Time Mads Out Of tho City-CNSxing the
klssissppi-A Long, Lively, EVenthl Tramp
Safe Arrival Home.
GdIresOR Nens.

booming of these big guns, at first deliber-
ately, gradually gaining in rapidity, &C
companied by the roaring of thousands Of
small arms rafting like fire-crackers ex-
ploded in packs, giving one an idea of a
diabolical concert, in which all the fiends
Of the lower regions are participating,
means business, strictly business.
There's no doubt about somebody get
ting hurt, for the revel of death is at its
height. It's a sad feeling to know that
many of the boys in gray are biting the
dust. Now it's the crack of a single
musket, followed instantly by the volly OF
platoons, which is merged soon into one
grand roar of continuous line of musketry.
remember wondering To myself who
fired that solitary shot, and if he, Old the
next instant, didn't succumb before the
blaze of that great succeeding volley.
Couriers come in bringing the news that
we are falling back TO Big Black bridge,
and we know the enemy are gradually get
ting to our rear, and will soou have Vicks,
burg in an anaconda coil
There is now only one way OF egress
from the doomed city, and by that route a
regiment Of cavalry are driving thousands
of horses and mules TO place of safety,
and /, following the exciting crowd, al.
most preferring capture, with trip up
North in a crowded transport, compared
to which description of packed SLAYER
pales into insignifcance, with the single
thought of escaping from the living tomb,
as Vicksburg proved for many long days
ned soldiers attire.
We went pell-mell, al panic-stricken a
crowd as ever straddled horses. The ami
mails seemed to have caught the infection,
and like centaurs Of old swept like whirl-
wind in mad destruction TO escape the
threatened doom. After this wild and
reckless plunge Of many miles We found
ourselves temporarily beyond danger OF
the enemy. They had sealed Vicksburg
up and made charge for Jackson. where
General Jonston had registered his name
on page Of the Bowman House register
that morning, and where, upon the OPP
posite page, General Grant registered his
bold U. s. G. few hours later.
That hotel register should have been pre-
served in the archives at Washington for.
ever.
The moth.eaten flags that are causing
such a commOtiOn in the enthusiastic
hearts Of the G. A. r. pensioners would
prove mere bauble, q child's toy, in COM
parison.
This was war on n wholesale scale,
totally unlike the Steel and Ferguson
dances up and down Deer creek. | felt
that when Vicksburg was sealed up its
capture was only question of time, and
the downfall of Vicksburg meant the back
bone Of the confedeacy broken.
The soil surrounding Yicksburg fol
many miles was crimsoned with the best
blood OF the land, both blue and gray.
One consolation we enjoyed those days
but these feelings have long since passed
away was that the quantity ofblood which
flowed from the invaders almost deluged
the country. In fact it serves to enrich
the soil ofthose old, red hills and valley,
until this day.
1t is impossible 10 ever estimate the
number of the killed and wounded in that
grand "Grant" march to Jackson, with
men as innumerable as the sands of the sea
The strongest side generally wins in the
| long run, and they surely dfd win in thii
fight, but at an awful sacrifice of men.
We soon found ourselves at Canton, 2:
miles north of Jackson, where parted
company with that tired crowd of men and
horses.
Selling one of my horses for s., 300, Con
federate money. Istraddled the other and
took myself northward until reached the
banks of the Bouge Phalia, ~ pretty q
stream as the South can produce. Ii run,
parallel with Deer creek its whole length,
the streams being about three miles dis,
tant from each other, through several
counties. II was here | found hundreds
of Africans who could not speak a word OF
English. They were the property OF
General Wade Hampton. now senator from
South Carolina. The general was the
largest owner of slaves in the South, and
believe had, if my memory serves me right,
about 1000 in Mississippi and as great or a
greater number in South Carolina.
These Africans invariably took to the
canehrake whenever they had reasons for
believing that the feds" were coming out
from the river on raid. They were as
afraid of the "Yanks" az Satan was sup
posed to be of holy water.
They believe to this day that "Massa
Hampton" is the only great man living
'Ihe general owned so many negroes in
Mississippi that he did not know his own
when he met them, and when he would
meet one OF his own and ask him who he
belonged to and received the reply. II
b'long to you," he always gave the darkey
a piece Of tobacco from q piece he carried
for that purpose.
have often thought the general brought
Africans to this country by the boatload,
and wouldn't he surprised if many of them
we're still out in those canebrakes hiding
from the Yanks.
The next morning brought me to within
three or four miles Of the Mississippi OPP
posite Napoleon, Ark. learned from a
party with whom stopped that night
that could only cross the river at night
after IL o'clock. Hundreds of deserters,
he informed me, were crossing every night
He further informed me that they would
not cross n horse, as the animal would
snort so when he struck cold water that
the noise would attract the attention of
patrol boats that were going up and down
the river continually to prevent people
crossing.
Here was dilemma. How could
leave my horse, and how could walk 10
Texas after reaching the other side2 He
advanced the interesting information that
with horse or pistol with me, the jay
hawkers, who were as thick rs gnats in a
swamp, would relieve me before / could
travel a mile in Arkansas. He added that
he would like to have my horse, and that
he would loan me $50 in greenbacks on
the horse and six shooter, redeemable
when returned to Mississippi.
''But, young man, you'll have to have a
safe place to hide those greenbacks, for
they search everybody and should you OBJ
iect in the least you'll be o gone coon.
They won't take your 'Canfed' money.
All they want is property and good
money"
closed bargain with him instantly
and found myself "a foot hack" and un-
armed. ripped place in the inside Of
my old alligator boots, where my $40
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